David O'Halloran, Headmaster - Saint David's School, New York City

In the following article from the current issue of Saint David's Magazine, Art Curriculum Chair Jenna Boccella considers how boys' engagement and understanding are increased through the integration of art and academics. The headmaster’s theme of “Joyful Balance” resonates strongly throughout the art, woodworking, and ceramics studios at Saint David’s daily. At every grade level and in each visual arts class that boys attend at Saint David’s, there are opportunities to look, create, think critically, and express themselves through visual modes.  Our visual arts curriculum aims to balance mastery of skills, media, and techniques specific to each artistic discipline, while developing habits of mind that extend outside of the school’s walls and beyond graduation. Essential to preparing boys for meaningful, productive lives in the 21st century, they include creative problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking, and understanding and honoring multiple points of view.  In our st...

Imagine walking several miles to school each day as a second grader. Now imagine that when you arrive, school is conducted in an open field with dirt floors and perhaps one tree offering shade in the blistering sun. You are taught by a village elder. There are no facilities, no latrines. At the end of the day, you walk the more than 6 miles back home. This was the reality for children in Kalina, Tigray. When we learned of their need, Saint David's eighth graders in 2011 - the occasion of our school's 60th anniversary - made a commitment to helping children in Kalina by raising the funds to construct an elementary school. In celebrating our anniversary milestone, we wanted to do for others what others had done for us, by breathing life into two new programs. The first, Horizons at Saint David's (now in its 12th year) would serve children in need close to home; the other, would serve children far away. Both involve the education of children and serve the greater common good. ...

  If we care about the times we live in, we need to do more to model, embrace, and celebrate civility. Civility is dependent upon respectful disagreement, a celebration of civil discourse and debate, and an openness to entertaining a thought without necessarily accepting it. At Saint David's, one way we foster civility is through the Socratic seminar structure and focus in our Upper School History Program. Below, excerpted from the current issue of Saint David's Magazine is Assistant Upper School Head Dr. Evan Morse's article on the Socratic seminar experience in eighth grade: Grade Eight - Delving into Complex Questions The eighth-grade history program emphasizes the development of analytical thinking and engagement with primary sources. Socratic seminars combine these two skills; as a result, these seminars are a key component of the eighth-grade experience. For each seminar, the students are assigned a complex question to investigate… What were the causes of Savonarola’...

Their time had arrived. As the lights dimmed in our Otto-Bernstein Theatre, the astrophysicists, a mix of jitters and excitement, awaited their opportunity to share insights and stories about the workings of the universe. Which planets might support life? Is there water on Mars? What are Dwarf Planets?    "Let's take a look at our closest neighbor, Venus," invited one presenter, before revealing that the planet - while ideal in proximity - has surface temperatures of 900 degrees F: "Imagine - standing on the surface would be like being burned alive!"  Later that same day, in our Graham lunchroom, early 20th century immigrants of all ages from Italy, China, Ireland, Russia, among other countries, waited, with hope and determination, their turn to be interviewed for admittance to America. It wasn't going to be easy. They would be asked pointed, potentially life-altering questions by various processors. "What's that cough? It doesn't sound good,...

They clapped, jumped, swayed and intentionally held a pose ...  Our third graders' recent series of workshops through Saint David's new collaboration with the National Dance Institute was a smashing success. Over the course of three days last week, the boys learned correct timing, how to match rhythm to movement, and some secrets to balancing on one leg (hold arms out to the side). The choreography for the dances they performed before an audience on the final day in our Otto-Bernstein Theatre was inspired by the boys themselves and guided by the poetry of Dr. Maya Angelou.  In one poem, "I Love the Look of Words," Angelou uses popcorn as a metaphor for the powerful impact of the written word:  "Popcorn leaps, popping from the floor of a hot black skillet and into my mouth. Black words leap, snapping from the white page. " You can imagine the boys' joy in simulating the "popping" of popcorn through movement. As one third grader said, "I rea...

One day. Two "Adams." Four sessions.  Recently, boys in all grades got the inside scoop on writing and illustrating books when they were visited by notable published authors Adam Auerbach and Adam Gidwitz. Mr. Auerbach, author and illustrator of The Three Vikings, Legendary Creatures: Mythical Beasts and Spirits From Around the World , Monkey Brother, and the Ezra Jack Keats Honor book Edda: A Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School met with the Lower School boys. While reading aloud The Three Vikings to boys in Grades K through One, he transported them through a "mythical tale that celebrates teamwork, acceptance, the power of music, and the art of storytelling."  He also led the boys in drawing an original character, an amalgam of diverse animals generated by the boys' imaginations, and shared the long journey a book takes through writing, editing, illustrating, and production. One third grader noted he was particularly "impressed to learn about the mult...

Visual and performing arts, two facets of our Arts pillar, have been shining with particular intensity. The recent Saint David's Winter Concert (see highlights reel, below) filled our theatre with rich and varied compositions performed by the Saint David's Philharmonic Ensemble (who were joined by Spence School's Middle Orchestra), our Percussion Ensemble, and Chamber Singers. The musical performances were captivating and all of the young musicians, at once suspended and immersed in the moment. It reminded me of a Chamber Singer's comment earlier this year following an on-site workshop with Yale's a cappella group: "This was the best day of my life!" declared the fourth grader, who clearly loves to sing and thrives when sharing his joy with an audience.  (click image to view video) We know that the arts are transformative. They offer a space where many boys discover talents and outlets for exploration and self-expression. They also enhance learning and und...